Residents press county over mining, water and land‑use complaints; state agencies say investigations under way

Residents filled the boardroom on Nov. 5, 2025 to press Crook County officials about ongoing problems at a nearby Knife River aggregate operation, ranging from truck parking and weekend work to concerns about settling ponds and possible impacts on private wells and streams.

At the meeting, multiple residents described observed dumping from settling ponds, weekend processing and dead riparian trees near the mine. "They're still dumping in it," said one resident who said she had video evidence of materials being placed in a pond the county had identified for sampling. Another said the activity was causing water complaints in the neighborhood.

Greg Sweetland of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality told the board the state and DOGAMI have compiled roughly two dozen public questions and are preparing a consolidated Q&A and sampling plan. "We've received about 25 questions or so," Sweetland said. He added that DEQ and DOGAMI expect to publish responses and an update on the sampling plan within days and said, "I'm confident they're not using flocculants," explaining why flocculants were not included in certain domestic well sampling.

John (planning) told residents the county has filed enforcement actions tied to specific violations. He said staff had issued at least one fine for operating outside permitted hours, and stressed broader enforcement options exist: "If they have three proven violations, the abatement is that we can then revoke their permit," he said, describing a three‑strike process that can culminate in permit revocation.

Residents urged the county to press state agencies to interpret permits consistently and to use county powers where available. Several speakers asked why a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that referenced use of irrigation water appeared to be followed later by permits authorizing wells. Planning staff said the typical sequence is local land‑use approval followed by state permitting, and county staff are reviewing whether conditions of local approval have been violated.

County staff also said engineering and sampling plans tied to Dogami's operating permit and the county's groundwater investigation will inform next steps. Where local CUP conditions are violated, county planners said they will pursue enforcement under county code (which allows civil fines and, after repeated violations, permit revocation). Several residents also described efforts to involve federal agencies and to seek additional water sampling of tributaries that feed the Crooked River.

The board did not take a new formal action in the meeting but directed staff and legal counsel to review the recent DOGAMI letter and to follow up with state agencies and county legal counsel about enforcement options.

What's next: county planning staff said they will consult legal counsel, follow up with DOGAMI and DEQ, and keep complainants informed; state agencies said public answers and sampling plans were imminent.